Garlic Chicken - the Ina Garten way

To me the biography of Ina Garten, a well known American TV chef, always reads like a fairy tale. A passionate cook from an early age on, Mrs Garten initially chose to study Economics and went on to work for the US government in Washington D.C.. In 1978 she stumbled upon an add for a small deli in the West Hamptons ("Barefoot Contessa") and decided to turn her hobby into a career. The shop quickly expanded and by the mid-1980s she had opened a large store in the exclusive East Hamptons (her shop has even featured in a movie with Jack Nicholson). Eventuelly Ina Garten sold her shop, but went on to publish a series of cook books and even has her own TV show. In retrospect her initial decision to by that small deli in the Hamptons might seem entirely logical, but few people really have the courage to give up a safe job for such a risk. Chapeau!

The recipe below is one of hers (adapted very slightly) and is truly wonderful. The amount of garlic used might seen daunting to the uninitiated, but trust me on this one!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):


1 organic chicken (1,5kg)
350 ml white wine
3 tablespoons of cognac
3-4 twigs of thyme
2 large bulbs of garlic
2-3 tablespoons of creme fraiche
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of flour
butter, olive oil
salt, pepper


Preparation:


1. First you will need to cut your chicken into 10 pieces. You can have this done by your butcher, but it's pretty easy to do this at home once you know how. Start by cutting off the two wings, then separate the legs (cutting each into half along the middle joint), and, last but not least, remove the breast filets. These should ideally remain on the bone (each breast cut into half), but if you find this too difficult, you can also use them off the bone.

2. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat some butter and some olive oil in a heavy pan and fry the chicken in batches until it is golden brown. Take your time doing this, you want the chicken to brown evenly.

 3. In the meantime, separate the garlic cloves and blanch them in some boiling water (1 minute will do). Once they have cooled off slightly, peel them and, in case the cloves are particularly large, cut them in half.

4. Once the chicken is done, set aside and gentry saute the garlic (in the same pan) for about 10 minutes until it's taken on a fair bit of color. You might want to turn down the heat for this though, garlic takes on an unpleasant bitter taste when burned.  

5. Add the wine and the cognac to the pan and allow to boil briefly. Using a wooden spatula, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme and return the chicken to the pan. Close the lid and cook for 30 min over low heat (the liquid should be simmering, not boiling). 



6. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside briefly. In a small bowl, whisk a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid with the flour and whisk it back into the sauce. Add the creme fraiche and the sugar before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.







Serve with some greens and plenty of fresh baguette to mop up the sauce!

Rhubarb-crumble Cake

Earlier this year, I set myself a challenge to tackle the art of baking...much to the delight of my colleagues, who have become spoilt rotten in the process :-). These days, their morning greeting is inevitably accompanied by surreptitious glances to check whether I happen to be carrying any boxes! My suggestion that baking cakes could be done in turns has so far fallen on deaf ears, but truth be told I am glad to have such a willing group of food critics (otherwise I might be tempted to eat all the pies myself!!!).

Here is tomorrow's cake delivery: rhubarb-crumple cake, the perfect way to adapt crumble for day-time eating.

Ingredients: 

For the dough:

25 g of fresh yeast

400 g flour

200 ml milk

80 g sugar 

1 medium-sized egg

80 g unsalted soft butter

salt

For the crumble:

150 g flour

50 g cornflour

100 g roughly chopped almonds

150 g sugar

150 g cold unsalted butter

For the topping:

1 kg rhubarb

2-3 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation: 

1. Place the flour in a large bowl and form a well in the middle. Heat the milk until it's just slightly warm. In a glass, mix the yeast, the sugar and about 1/4 of the milk until all ingredients are dissolved. Pour the yeast mixture and the remaining milk in the well, adding the egg and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Start mixing the ingredients using a fork, working from the inside to the outside. Once the dough starts coming together, add the butter and, using your hands this time, start kneading the dough until it is smooth but still slightly sticky (this is best done on a well-floured work surface). Return the dough to the bowl, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour in a warm draft-free spot. 

2. Place all ingredients for the crumble in a second bowl. Rub the butter, flour, sugar and almonds together until you have achieved that crumbly consistency. Place in the fridge. 

3. When the dough has risen, deflate it and place it in the middle of a baking tray (either well greased or covered with some baking paper). Spread the dough (using your hands) to the edges of the tray. The dough is going to be quite elastic, so you are going to have to put in a bit of an effort :-)

4. Wash and (where needed) peel the rhubarb and cut it into 5-7cm long sticks. Place these on the dough (pressing down slightly) until it's entirely covered. Sprinkle with the sugar and allow to rest for another 15 mins before adding the crumble. 

5. The cake goes into the pre-heated oven (180°C) for 35 mins. Then turn on the grill and allow to bake for an additional 5 mins until the crumble has that lovely golden color. 

Recipe adapted from: www.essen-und-trinken.de

Mango-avocado salad with coriander-lime dressing

I once ate this in a restaurant in Stockholm and immediately set upon re-creating the dish when I got home. It's AMAZING! The combination of flavors is perfect and it's great both as a starter and a main course. In this case I served it with some seared tuna, but garlic infused jumbo shrimp off the barbecue work a treat too.

One cautionary note though: you need to make sure (!!) that you get RIPE avocados and a RIPE mango. This dish won't work at all if you end up with a half-ripe avocado or one of those horrible mangos that tastes like nothing. Unless you have a reliable source, I therefore recommend buying both a few days in advance.

Ingredients (serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter):

2 ripe avocados
1 large mango
1 bunch of coriander
2 limes
2 large tomatoes
Vegetable oil (olive oil doesn't work here)
1-2 red chilis
salt

Preparation: 

1. Peel the avocados and the mango and cut both in 1cm cubes. Finely chop the coriander leaves, putting the stems aside. Halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds, then cut the tomato into smallish cubes. In a salad bowl, mix the mango, the avocado and the tomato. 

2. For the dressing, mix 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the juice of 1-1 1/2 limes (see note below), the chili and roughly 2 tablespoons of the coriander stems in a blender. Add some salt and pepper and season to taste. Depending on the limes, you might need to add a little bit of sugar, but be careful, you want this to be quite acidic. It should also be quite spicy :-)

3. Just before serving (and really JUST before), add the dressing to the salad and mix thoroughly. Season to taste and add the coriander. 

A quick note on the dressing: it is a bit difficult to give exact amounts here. Much will depend on the sweetness of the mango and the sourness of the limes. Essentially, what you are aiming for is a balance between the sweetness of the fruit and the acidity of the dressing. The salad should have a nice zing to it.

Green beans with lemon vinaigrette and parmesan

For some reason I tend to make beans mainly in winter. In the summer I veer towards grilled veggies or salads (and I am no fan of adding green beans to salads)....until, a few years ago, my mother told me about this recipe. I think it's the perfect way to make green beans in the summer. It's worth making this just for the color combination alone :-)

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 packet of green beans
1 lemon
1 handfull of grated parmesan 
olive oil 
salt, pepper

Preparation: 

1. Clean the beans and cook them for 5-7 minutes in boiling (salted) water. The beans should be "al dente", not soft or limp! Once cooked, drain the beans and chuck them in a bowl filled with ice cold water (best to add a few ice cubes). This not only prevents the beans from cooking further, it also turns the beans a lovely bright shade of green. 

2. For the vinaigrette just mix 4 tablespoons of olive oil with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, some salt and some pepper. You want this to be on the sour side (the parmesan will partially compensate the acidity later on). 

3. Just before serving, mix the beans with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the parmesan. 

Spicy oven-baked sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a favorite in my household and I make them at every opportunity. In the winter I usually prefer the mashed version, but during barbecue season these here are great as a side-dish. They are extremely easy to make and are perfect to accompany all kinds of meat dishes. Although, truth be told, I am perfectly happy having just these, some grilled vegetables and a nice fresh yoghurt dip.

Ingredients (for 2):

1-2 sweet potatoes (I used 2 medium-sized ones)
1 red chili
coarse sea salt, black pepper
olive oil
chili powder (optional)
maple syrup (optional)

Preparation: 

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into longish stripes. Finely slice the red chili. Mix both with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a generous amount of sea salt, and some back pepper. In case you prefer your potatoes on the spicy side, add half a teaspoon of chili powder. 

2. Cover a baking tray with some baking paper and evenly spread the potatoes on top. Place in the preheated oven (180°C, fan-assisted) for about 20mins. 

3. Now you have two options: you can either just leave the potatoes in for another 10 minutes at the same heat. Alternatively, you can drizzle the potatoes with some maple syrup (1 tablespoon is plenty, otherwise it will be way too sweet) and place the tray under the grill for about 5 mins. Watch this carefully, it will burn quickly. 

Just to make sure that there are no misunderstandings...these aren't going to be crispy! They contain less starch than normal white potatoes, so unless you fry them (recipe to follow), they are going to remain soft where they are thickest, turning crisp only on the thinner ends.

Ainsley Harriott's Kofta Kebabs with Yoghurt and Greek Salad

The original recipe for the lamb comes from Ainsley Harriott's "Low Fat Meals in Minutes" and has been a firm favorite with my family for years. The combination of minced lamb, mint, coriander, chili and cumin works like a charm, especially when served in warm pita bread with a fragrant yogurt dip and fresh Greek salad. This is a must-do even for those of you who are  not usually so keen on lamb. Trust me!  

Ingredients (serves 4):

700 g minced lamb (shoulder or leg)
1 bunch of fresh coriander
1 large clove of garlic
1 handful of fresh mint leaves
1 large red onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 red chili
250 g yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon of sugar
1 packet feta cheese
1 large red pepper
1 small packet of cherry tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1/2 tablespoon of dried oregano
olive oil
salt, pepper

Preparation: 

1. You will need three bowls for this: one medium-sized mixing bowl for the meat, one salad bowl, and a smaller one for the yogurt dip. Have these ready on your work surface before you begin.

2. Chop the onion finely, placing 2/3 in the bowl for the meat and the rest in the salad bowl. Finely chop the coriander, the mint, and the garlic: half of each goes into the meat bowl, half into the dish for the dip.

3. Place the minced lamb in the meat bowl, add the cumin, a generous amount of salt and pepper, the finely cut chili (or half, depending on how spicy you want this to be) and mix well. Form longish shapes, place on a tray and rub with a bit of olive oil. Set aside. 

4. Cut the feta cheese in cubes (or just crumble it using your hands) and add to the salad bowl. Wash the peppers, peel the deseed the cucumber and cut both into 1cm pieces before adding to the bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the mix. Dress with a generous 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the dried oregano, some salt (not too much, the feta can be quite salty) and some black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

5. For the dip, simply mix the yogurt with the herbs, add the lime juice, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. Season to taste.

6. The lamb is cooked for 20 mins on the pre-heated barbecue (medium-heat). Toast the pita bread on the bbq or simply use a toaster (leave them in until they begin to puff up, that's when they are ready).

We eat these as you would eat a kebab: the warm pita bread is filled with chunks of the lamb, salad and a generous serving of the yogurt sauce. 

Stir-fried beef and green asparagus

Stir-fries are a must for those of us who are often faced with the dilemma of having to (wanting to!) cook proper meals with little time on our hands. Stir-fries are easy, quick, yummy and healthy! Who wants to eat a ready-made meal if you can have tender beef, crunchy asparagus all mixed with a sauce of teriyake, lime juice, fresh ginger and hot chilis? Give it a try, I promise it's not difficult!

And for those with little or no stir-frying experience: this is all about fast cooking at high temperatures. Think "The Fast and The Furious" rather than "Sense and Sensibility". First and foremost this means that need to have everything ready. You don't want to start chopping ingredients in the middle of this. Also, remember that this is going to be very quick, so if you need to set your table, cook some rice, open a bottle of wine, you should all of this in advance (or, even better, delegate).

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 spring onions

2 tablespoons of finely fresh chopped ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1 red chili

5 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons of soya sauce

1 tablespoon of dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon of lime juice

1 teaspoon of cornstarch
2 teaspoons of sugar

350gr rumpsteak

500gr green asparagus

salt, pepper, extra sesame oil

Preparation: 

1. Clean and finely slice the spring onion. Peel the garlic and chop finely. Cut the chili in rings (I tend to leave the seeds in to add that extra spice). Remove the fat from the steak and slice diagonally into 1/2 cm stripes. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus and cut into 2-3cm pieces. 

2. Mix the ginger, garlic, chili, teriyaki sauce, soya sauce, sesame oil, sugar, lime juice and blend in the cornstarch. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok to high heat, add a bit of sesame oil and fry the asparagus. After about 2 minutes start adding spoonfuls of water one at a time (4-5 in total), each time allowing the liquid to boil away before adding more. The asparagus should still be quite crunchy. Remove the wok from the heat.  

4. Heat a large frying pan to a very high heat, adding a tablespoon of sesame oil. Once the pan is searingly hot (don't worry if it starts to smoke a little) fry the meat very briefly, just until it starts to brown slightly. The idea is not to cook the meat through (it will only end up getting tough), so just leave it in the pan for about 15 seconds on each side (I recommend you do this in batches). Remove the cooked meat and place it in the wok.

5. Once the meat is all done, return the wok to the stove and heat everything up (don't be shy on the heat, you want this to be sizzling). Add the sauce. mix well and wait until it starts to bubble away. The cornstarch will make the sauce thicken slightly and it will stick to the meat and the asparagus. This should start happening after a few minutes. Sprinkle with some spring onions and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from: www.esssen-und-trinken.de